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Hi Mark, the boosters have the model number DB210 on the front of them. They do not have any indication on them that they are opto isolated and I certainly did not order or pay for that option as it would be of no benefit to my operation.

So as requested I've taken a few measurements and I'm a little surprised by the results, but it certainly explains a few things. My results are in the redish colour.

You asked

If you have an ohm better, check if there is continuity between the ground terminal and the metal case.

My result, I removed a case screw and stuck the probe into the thread due to all the metal having a black "coating". The measured resistance between the thread and the ground pin on the front connector was 6.8 ohms.

The next step is to measure electrical continuity between the ground terminal and the loconet ground pins 3 and 4.

My result, to my surprise 74Kohms. Yes 74,000 ohms! This was measured between the ground pin on the front connector and the middle conductors of a dummy loconet cable.

Measurements were taken with a Fluke 1587 and the booster was totally disconnected from the layout and power supply.

I have no first hand experience with the new systems. I am not sure what has changed with the new systems. The documentation of the new system promotes the ground wire as a AC Earth ground connection which makes no sense since it assumes that they have a safety liability situation which they do not. They are not making the AC power supply which does have a liability situation and cannot be legally be sold unless it addresses that safety issue per UL, ETL or equivalent safety agency requirement.

Anyway, if it is intended as a Earth Ground connection, then it must be connected to the metal chassis.

If you have an ohm better, check if there is continuity between the ground terminal and the metal case. There should be if supposed to fulfill its safety requirement.

The next step is to measure electrical continuity between the ground terminal and the loconet ground pins 3 and 4. I know there is on the older Digitrax systems. I measured it and you know it works because your suing the large ground wire with the older systems.. If the new system BREAKS that continuity, that would explain why the large ground wire does not work and you must relay on the Digitrax Loconet ground for the booster common function.

I have a DCS100 as the command station. In loconet port A I have a UR92 connected and that’s it. In loconet port B I have the loconet cable that runs to the other boosters. There are no other loconet devices connected anywhere. On the DCS100 the “home ground” is connected to the little digitrax installed pigtail. This pigtail is connected to a lug which is held against the rear heat sink..

The “home ground” wire runs for approx 14 metres before reaching the first and second boosters, it is a 2.5 millimetre cable (approx awg 13) It does not connect to anything else.

The “home ground” wire connects to the ground terminal on the front of a DB210 and then daisy chains off to the second DB210 and connects the same way.

I had previously wired a friends layout which has a DCS100 and six DB150’s configured as boosters. I had cut the loconet cables as described in Alan Gartners “booster wiring” and it works without issue.

So when I installed the booster loconet cable on my layout, I cut the wires as described on Alan’s website and as I’d done previously. But the DB210’s would not wake up. The LEDs on the front on the DB210 were not correct and trains would not run on the DB210s power districts. The both rails at boundary between power districts are gaped and insulated. Reterminating the booster loconet cable so that all 6 wires are connected corrected the issue.

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